Rise of the AntiHolidays
by FanFickChick1992
Summary: For Raven Eleanor Skellington, being the only human being in Halloween town is no walk in the park. However, it's not so bad when you have parents like Jack and Sally. Will she be able to handle things when a new world threatens to tear her reality apart?
1. Ordinary Day

**I am soooo excited! I love this movie and I hope you like my fan fiction. :3 yes it has a slow start but please R&R! It will get better. I have plenty of twists and turns in store. ^^ so buckle up and I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh. P.S. I do not own TNBC! ****that would be Tim…ah…Tim. 3**

It was a normal day. That is perhaps the only way a day such as the one in question could be described. Yes. This day was entirely the same as any other. Dark clouds hung low over a distant murky lake, Creatures of all sorts scattered from any rays of direct sun light passing through a nearby cemetery, and the jagged shadows of several strange buildings danced with the passing of every cloud. How could a day such as this be considered anything other than normal? Unless perhaps…one did not dwell in the land of Halloween.

Certainly if one lived in the real world or another of the Holiday realms, a day such as this would seem dreary and dull. However…in the land of Halloween, a day such as this was the norm.

It all depends upon ones own point of view.

You see, this day was a day like any other. A day where nothing unexpected was expected to happen. This is most certainly why…something did happen.

And so our story begins on this most ordinary of days, in the most extraordinary of places.

Step by step both Jack and sally drew closer to the world gates which separated each and every holiday realm. It was the day after what had most likely been the greatest debacle in holiday history, and neither one of them wished to face Mr. or Mrs. Clause after such a scandal.

Unfortunately, Jack had much to atone for even after bidding farewell to the large jolly Santa who's work he himself had nearly destroyed. "Sal, nothing is going to happen to me ok? We'll just talk to Mr. Sandy Claws and put this whole mess behind us."

"It's not Mr. Clause I'm worried about Jack." Sally protested with her usual look of worry. Had positions been reversed, and Jack's well being been put in jeopardy by Mr. Clause, things would have definitely been different in the end. "If that man had kidnapped you like that I don't know what the people in town would have done…but I doubt it would have been pretty."

"How can you be in so much doubt Sal? He wasn't _too_ angry with me." Pulling her into his arms as they reached the door he laughed. "Besides! There isn't much they can do to a dead man is there?"

Supposing he had a point Sally flashed him with an unsure smile before looking up at the lavishly adorned Christmas gate.

Of all the Holiday realms, Christmas Land was the only door decorated with more than simple colored paint. From top to bottom ornaments of all shapes and colors popped out against the slightly worn forest green of the tree, and if one stood close enough, perhaps the faint scent of peppermint could catch their fancy.

Reaching for the door Jack nearly grasped the polished metal knob in his hand. However…as his bony fingers connected with the door Sally reached forward and grasped his arm. "Wait Jack." she whispered. "Did you hear that?"

Believing she was simply stalling for time he chose to play along. Lifting his head he listened closely to the silence of the woods around him. To his surprise there did seem to be something creating quite a stir far beyond the Holiday gates where the two now stood listening. It was almost an eerie kind of noise which to his surprise…left him more puzzled than excited.

"You hear it don't you Jack?" she questioned seeing the intrigue on his face.

"Yes." he responded stepping away from the door. "but what could it be? It doesn't sound like any creature I've ever heard around here."

Grasping Sally's hand in his Jack pulled her along as he walked around the tree and further into the dead woods. As he walked the sound appeared to grow louder and even more unpleasant.

Normally such a sound would excite him, however, this particular sound was becoming all too clear. It could now be inferred what it was that was making the awful noise, and his sudden refusal to move forward caused his feet to halt while Sally, still clinging to his hand, dragged him on in determination.

"I know this noise Jack." Sally breathed searching the trees ahead for what she was certain should be there.

Dragging his feet Jack now firmly protested Sally's grip on his hand. "Leave it be."

"But Jack, what is it doing here? We have to see." she replied slowing to a stop. "Jack…"

"No we don't Sally!" he growled finally yanking free of her grasp. "We should turn around and go-"

"Jack." Stepping forward Sally's mind seemed to be fully trained on something screaming among a clump of dead grass. It was something her mind seemed to remember from sometime far in the past, yet she knew without a doubt what it was she was not face to face with.

At the base of what could have been the most decrepit and ugly tree in the entire dead woods, lay an infant rapped in white, screaming and struggling against a small leaf which had fallen onto it's forehead.

Brushing the leaf away Sally quickly scooped the child from the ground and held it up as if it were one of her several black cats. "It's a baby."

Seeing the was Sally handled the child Jack quickly snatched it away from her. After doing so he shook his head in confusion as to why he had done so. "Look Sally, it's a child not a rag doll. You lift it up like that and you might break it's neck."

"OH!" she gasped holding a hand over her mouth. Had she known these things were so delicate she might have reconsidered touching it.

Tucking the screaming child into his bony arms Jack sighed. "Well, we've touched it…I guess that means whatever left it here won't take it back."

"It's a human child, not an animal Jack." Sally teased knowing he was only joking. "Wait…if it's a baby, then where on earth did it come from?"

Unable to explain how this _thing _had come to be in the land of Halloween, he simply reached over with his free hand and began dragging Sally back to the world gates. "Sal I don't know how it got here, but rest assured it won't be here long."

Sally's heart sank at these words. In her heart she knew she couldn't just take in a child like she had taken in the towns black cats…but it still hurt to hear. "I know we can't keep it Jack…I just. I just wish I knew where it came from. We can't just stick it in some corner somewhere. What is it dies?"

"Things die Sally. I don't remember death, but it certainly happened." he explained trying to cope with the screaming child in his arms. "Fortunately, we just happen to know a few living, breathing human beings that just might be able to take this thing off our hands."

Looking away she knew who he was talking about and immediately disliked his plan. "Well technically you held a living breathing human hostage Jack. Don't forget how much trouble you may be in."

Remembering the trouble of which Sally spoke Jack groaned in anguish. "I just can't wait until next Halloween…"

"I know Jack." Sally responded now watching the expression on the child's face change from sadness to curiosity.

Finally reaching the door Jack looked back to Sally in a moment of hesitation. He was Jack, the Pumpkin King of Halloween. It wasn't possible for him to fear something as small as an apology.

On the other hand, fear and nerves are nearly two halves of the same unpleasant whole.

"Now the way you are supposed to hole this thing is somewhat tricky if you've never had experience." Glancing down at the child he noticed it's curious eyes beaming up at him as if trying to understand.

"How is it you know so much about these things Jack?" Sally questioned with raised curiosity. "These things don't exactly drop in frequently."

Giving her a smile he lightly plopped the child into he arms. "I've been to the human realm many times Sal. I know a thing or two about kids." After instructing her in the proper way to hold the infant, Jack once again walked up to the door.

Unfortunately, not all things went according to plan in Christmas Town that evening. Jack nearly missed three cast iron pots tossed by Mrs. Clause, and to his great misfortune…Santa had his own plans for payback.

"_As a way of paying me back for all the trouble you've caused Jack, I'll make you a deal. Raise the girl as your own child in Halloween town. I'll provide everything you'll need to get started." _

And so an ordinary day somehow became unusual…

**In order to avoid anyone feeling bad, angry, or all around hurt. Remember. When I say ANTI HOLIDAY -_- it's a part of the story. I don't actually consider a holiday lesser for being an anti-holiday in the story. Anti-holiday's are simply misunderstood. HOWEVER I do not wish to give anything away. I just wanted to clear that up before someone comments calling me racist or something for calling a few holiday's anti holidays (plus it's only a story so be calm and enjoy) R&R! **


	2. Party pt 1

Nearly 17 years after the incident at Christmas time, Halloween town buzzed with anticipation and excitement. Lights of all colors wrapped around Town Hall, and several wilting Christmas trees lined the cobblestone streets leading out into the barren countryside. Christmas Eve was quickly approaching as the holiday clock began it's final count down.

"Listen up everyone!" The Mayor called from the roof of his rundown hearse. It appeared that his face had become stuck between expressions (as it usually did around the Christmas season). "Ok everyone. It is almost time for the Christmas Celebration. Now as usual Mr. and Mrs. Clause will be paying us a visit to check on…well…" Forcing his worried expression to face the crowed he swallowed hard. "You know who."

Looking to one another in understanding, the inhabitants of Halloween town began to talk amongst themselves. It was a well kept secret, and a well known fact that the day before Christmas Eve was the only time Mr. and Mrs. Clause dropped in for a visit. The reason was simple enough…

To be sure Jack was "keeping up" with things…mainly a certain dark haired seventeen year old. This however, was a task no one in town seemed willing or able to accomplish.

Several things made raising a human in Halloween town a struggle, yet the main problem seemed to be the towns peoples lack of interest.

"I need everyone to stay clam once Mr. and Mrs. Sandyclause arrive. We don't need any repeats of last years little fiasco." Eyeing the trio of mischievous trick-or-treater's formerly known as Oogies boys, his expression switched to anger. "There's no telling what might happen to Jack if something were to happen while they make their yearly visit."

"Do we HAVE to celebrate the Raven's day again this year?" asked the mummy child. "Shy can't that old fat man leave us all alone?"

Shouts of agreement filled the air as the crowed grew restless. It was clear that many of them were growing tired of Santa's annual visit.

"I say we stuff the lobster man!" cried Lock with an unusual angered scowl.

Both Shock and Barrel joined in throwing their fists in the air. Soon the entire town was in an angered frenzy.

One thing was certain. If no one stepped in soon it was either going to be the last year Santa came to town, or the first holiday mishap in seventeen years. Luckily someone _did_ step in.

"_**Quiet!" **_

Suddenly the crowed fell into silence.

"Now then." Slinking from the shadows Jack appeared wearing a scowl of complete disapproval. His angered appearance was one it seemed he had been wearing quite often in recent days. "Santa will be paying us his usual visit, and I expect all of you to treat him kindly." Climbing to the rood of the hearse he crossed his arms. "You all know why he comes here every year…and if any of you so much at take one step out of line…I'll be there to put you in your place."

No longer did citizens mumble and sneer under their breath as they did in privet and around the mayor. Every mouth was shut, and every gaze completely fixed on his every move. They knew he was not a man to be tested.

Leaping from his place beside the Mayor Jack dropped his arms and held them loosely behind his back as he walked away. Rounding the corner and leaving town square he released a deflating sigh. One thing he absolutely hated to do above all else was threaten the citizens of Halloween Town. However, do to his deal with Mr. and Mrs. Clause, his hands were tied. _'That girl is the best worst thing that's ever happened to me and Sal. I just wish it wasn't so hard to keep her safe.' _

Watching the towns people from atop a tree in the Dead Woods, a young girl of nearly seventeen clutched a piece of paper firmly in her lap. Her short black pixie cut and deep hazel eyes set her apart in as being the ugly one in the Land of Halloween, however, she was not one to be brought down by the thoughts of those around her. Nothing could bring down a member of the Skellington family. Especially the child of Jack and Sally.

Especially not…

Raven Lenore Skellington,

Your presence is requested at the annual Christmas party in Halloween town. Please dress appropriately this time dear, I'd rather not cause a fuss like I did last year. Oh, and do bring that dear girl Sally along with you this year. It was an awful shame she was unable to attend last Christmas. Until then my dear…

Mrs. Clause

"No thanks." she mumbled tossing the letter to the ground. "I'd rather choke on fruit cake than go to into town for an obnoxious party." Getting to her feet and testing out the strength of the branch on which she stood, Raven turned to face the vast forest of dead trees before her.

It had always been a dream of hers to go on an adventure to somewhere far beyond the constrictions of Jack and Sally's precious Halloween Town. She understood that _they_ could never really leave their lives behind…and she wouldn't ever ask them to. After all, it was _her_ everyone in town seemed to have a problem with.

She understood how everyone felt about what she was regardless of how much of a "big secret" they tried to make it.

Leaping from tree to tree with little effort she waited for the perfect moment to launch herself into the air. Feeling the wind beginning to pick up she knew the time was near. Taking perfect aim she landed near the end of the flimsiest branch she could find and before she knew it her body was soaring slightly above the tree tops.

This is the thrill she lived for. Closing her eyes she imagined what it might be like falling through the skies of some far off jungle, almost like the ones she'd read about in Doctor Finklestein's field journals. Yes, for a moment she was able to leave the darkness of Halloween Town and smile.

But then that moment ended...and she was back where she had always been. From the same long-sleeved puffy shirt and pinstriped vest she normally wore, to the cleanly pressed and polished black pants and shoes. She was back.

Landing with a small crash into another tree Raven crumpled into a heap trying to catch her breath. "I hate I when the dream ends."

"Well if it didn't end, you'd never be able to pay attention to where you need to land." Sitting opposite her on the branch Jack gave her a look of slightly humored annoyance.

"D-dad! I didn't see you there." Getting to her feet she looked away having been caught. '_Damn him and his…sneaky- how did he find me this time?' _Spying the ghostly figure of Zero circling the tree trunk a few feet below she rolled her eyes. "See how many treats you get now Zero." she muttered hoping Jack would be unable to hear her.

"You could have hurt yourself Raven. You know your mother and I don't approve of you being in the Dead Woods." he reprimanded in a stern voice. "Plus, it's nearly an hour till the party and you're nowhere near ready."

With a sigh of defeat Raven turned back to look Jack in the eye. He may not smile anymore, but he and Sally were the only two people in the world that seemed to truly care for her at all. It wasn't much, but they were all she had.

"I'm almost grown you know. I'll be leaving the house sooner or later." she explained in her most adult tone. "Soon I'll be able to strike out on my own grand adventured."

It was silent for a moment before Jack took her hand in his. "_Almost_ and _soon_ were the two key words in those statements." Flashing her a quick smile he cleared his throat. "Until soon becomes _now_ I think you'll be joining me for a little Christmas festivities."

"No problem bone daddy." she teased climbing down with him by her side. "Only…I don't want to stay for the whole night. I'm a little tired of the gloom today." she lied.

Raising his hand as if to check for rain he shrugged. "Huh…I thought the weather was stupendous today."

Placing her hands in her pockets Raven smiled. For her parents she would do almost anything. Including attend a party full of testy people.

However. Someone wandering through the shadows noticed the two and watched from the darkness. Certainly they would be attending this party as well.


	3. Party pt 2

"Keep still please." Sally mumbled with sewing needles clenched firmly in her teeth. "I can't believe you haven't even tried on this dress before. I made it for you last summer!" Gripping at the fabric in the back of the rag doll, patchwork dress, she began to quickly sow a few small patches into place.

Holding both arm's out to the side Raven gave an exasperated huff. "I don't wear dresses…" she griped under her breath.

"What?" Sally questioned circling to the front to give the entire dress a looking over.

"Nothing mother." Hopping off of the wooden foot-stool she brushed off the dress and spun around. Admittedly, it was a beautiful dress for what it was, unfortunately Raven preferred a man's clothing style over a woman's skirt or dress. "Is it done now? Can we please get there so I can then proceed to bail out ?"

Holing her at arms length Sally smiled proudly. "You know something? You've grown so much so fast in the last few years Ray…I hardly recognize you at all." Smiling as widely as she could tears almost began to stream from her eyes.

Looking away Raven blushed. "J-Jack! We need to leave now if you intend for us to be there before Mr. and Mrs. Clause arrive!"

Indeed he did very much intend to be there before his "Good Neighbor" Santa arrived in town. Jack knew perhaps better than anyone just how vicious the citizen's could become on the matter of Christmas.

Though…it wasn't necessarily the holiday that caused so much tension between the two Holiday lands. He was all to aware of this.

"Yes. We should leave now just to be safe." he sighed heavily before leading the way to the door. "And I suppose you won't be joining us this year either Sal?"

"No." she replied shaking her head with a forced smile.

Nodding in understanding he extended a hand to Raven in invitation. "It's going to be alright you know. Mr. and Mrs. Clause love to see you."

Smiling in agreement she took his hand and followed close behind. Never disappointing him was as difficult a task as any that could be found, yet she managed it seemingly well. In truth she could never tell him no, or cause a fuss over anything he asked of her. He and sally were the only ones in the entire world that appeared to truly love her regardless of her humanity.

That is…other than Mr. and Mrs. Clause. However, she was convinced the two of them liked everyone they met, and somehow that fact seemed to stand less _for_ and more _against_ them.

Approaching town square her feet stopped moving forward and her hand slipped from Jack's as he walked on as if lost in thought. The party would be starting soon, and believe it or not, she was starting to feel excited.

'_For one night I'll be the center of attention. Forced attention or not, everyone will talk to me today…maybe they'll even smile.' _she decided not to hold her breath on that last one.

Just as she expected everyone appeared delighted to see her arrive as the parties festivities began to kick in.

A certain dark spin on such an otherwise joyous holiday was to be expected in the town of all things Halloween. Decorations around the square included pumpkins in Christmas hats, ironic yet realistic mistletoe, eerie Christmas music drifting through the chilled night air, and a dead tree covered in all sorts of ghastly ornaments.

This was a true Halloween Town Christmas.

"Greetings Raven. Might I interest you in a quick game of chance?" Trotting up with a snide look upon his face the Red Devil curled his tail in anticipation.

Leaning down to greet him at eye level she smiled. "You know, mother always taught me to never play a game of chance with the devil R.D." Seeing she had disappointed him she reached out and patted him on the head. "Don't worry. I'm no good at games anyhow. So it wouldn't be any fun to play with me."

"Oh look. A black bird!" Barrel cackled in an attempt to spur his two friends into an uproar.

Looking her way both Shock and Lock appeared to give a slight snicker before holding a hand over their friends mouth to shut him up.

"_You idiot!" _Shock hissed under her breath.

Smacking him as hard as he could Lock attempted not to laugh. "Jack will be furious if he hears you talk like that."

Walking up to the trio knowing the subject of their conversation Raven smiled. "It's ok to make fun of me. I'm different. It's fun to make jokes about the flaws you see in people. Sort of like the way you three wander around like an aimless flock of sheep." Knowing exactly what nerve would need to strike for a finishing blow, she turned her back to them. "It must be awful not having your old master around."

Every year it was the same routine of what insult to leave them with.

Strolling through the square she smiled seeing the familiar faces of the corps family, Cyclops, and Behemoth (among many others). Though they all appeared delighted to see her, Raven knew this charade wouldn't last long after Santa and his wife left.

"Well hello dear." Called the rickety voice of one of the few witches which had gathered around a cauldron near the city gate. "Come! Come and let us test your skill."

Intrigued by the offer she gladly made her way up to the group. "Skill? Skill at doing what?"

Holding out her bony aged hands one of the eldest witches smiled over at Raven with an almost toothless grin. "Allow us to show you my dear Raven." Tossing the stones to another witch she began to explain. "You see…? The more power you poses, the higher above your hand's they float."

Observing the rocks now suspended in mid air above her head she smiled. "I've never seen you all perform magic. How are you doing that?"

"Here. Why Don't you give it a go deary?" cackled another of the witches from somewhere behind the cauldron. "I've always wondered what would happen if the witches stones ever stopped working."

At this each of the witches began to cackle.

Keeping a watchful eye on the stones as they hovered in place Raven smiled. "No thanks. I have no skill in magic, so I am not tempted to test myself." Out of the corner of her eye she spotted something familiar striding quietly out of the shadows. _'Grim…' _she thought turning away from the now silent group.

"Why…no one talks to a witch in such a way. Especially not to all of us." sneered the eldest witch. "I'll show her a thing or two." Focusing her mind on the back of Raven's head the witches stones shot from the sky.

Turning quickly Raven caught both rocks in the palm of her left hand. "Now now ladies. Play nice or go home." Dropping her hand the stones fell to the ground as she attempted to continue on her way. Surprisingly, someone seemed to be blocking her way.

"I'm no good with words…I'm afraid…" came the dark, low voice of the Reaper which stood before her. "Fortunately…I believe…Hello, should suffice…" his voice almost seemed to fade off into space.

"Grim! I'm so happy to see you." she cried happily trying to hold herself back from embracing him. "W-where have you been lately? I've missed our talks so much since you've been gone." The reason for her withdrawing from any kind of physical contact was simple enough to understand.

Human beings each suffered the same fait when coming into contact with the Reaper or the instrument of his trade. A sudden, often painful death.

From head to toe the Reaper appeared as neither man, nor beast. Wearing a dark, hooded cloak he remained hidden at all times. The only clue to his humanity seemed to be the pail hands which showed only when he lifted his scythe. In many ways he was the most feared creature in the Halloween town, and in other worlds…there was no denying the fear which his name portrayed.

"It's been a good year…for reaping souls my dear…Raven…" he replied in the happiest tone he could muster. "However…I have come back…to see what it is…that may soon take place…"

Giggling to herself Raven smiled. "You've always been so strange. Then again, I never do understand your deep, universal, gibberish." Suddenly she found herself being pulled backward. "Hey!"

"You can catch up later." Jack explained as he pulled her over to the main gate. "Mr. and Mrs. Clause are nearly here."

"Oh joy."

**I hope this chapter didn't seem lazy. If it did I am really sorry. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please R&R! It's the only way I know I'm somewhat entertaining! So please. Read and Review!**


	4. A Stolen Evening

"Mr. and Mrs. Clause! Welcome to our annual celebration!" Jack announced wearing as big a smile as he could muster. "Please, do come in Mr. Clause."

"Well hello there Jack, good to see you looking well." At least he _hoped _Jack was doing well seeing as he was unable to tell the difference. Turning to look at the crowed he became a tad uneasy. "G-good to see you all as well."

Giving them a quick glare Jack managed to snap everyone back into shape.

"Oh goodness! Look at how much you've grown since last year!" Mrs. Clause cheered looking up at Raven with a massive grin. Pulling her in close she gasped in a bit of shock. "M-my goodness deary…you've chopped off all of that lovely raven hair. How disappointing, it was growing out so nicely."

Feeling a tad queasy herself Raven forced a smile. "Mrs. Clause…how fantastic to see you after all this…time." she lied through her teeth as best she could without seaming to insincere. Lightly forcing herself free she looked over to Santa. "Well. You look well Mr. Clause. '_I I do hope you don't intend to gain much more weight.'_."

Toddling over with a great, happy gleam in his eyes, Santa began to laugh. "Well you do look different my dear, certainly much taller than you were when last I saw you." Circling her as he spoke he gave a few mumbled "Uh huh's" while looking her over.

It was almost as if he were looking for something wrong with her.

"Will you please stop circling me so we can get back to the party?" she finally requested glancing over at Jack's obviously tense face. _'Why does he look so nervous? It's not like this doesn't happen every year.'_ she thought.

Giving a great, jolly laugh Santa lightly nudged her with his elbow. "Of course we can! It's nearly Christmas after all, and I've brought gifts for every citizen in Halloween Town!"

At this there came great cheers of happiness. Greedy, vain, happiness. Yet, it was still happiness all the same.

Strolling over to a nearby bench as the crowed grew wild, Raven gladly took a seat and breathed a sigh of relief. The worst part of her entire day was presumably over, and all that remained was the party. Closing her eyes she finally felt at peace.

"Rough day huh?" asked an unfamiliar voice.

"No not really. Just relieved that it's almost over." she stated appearing to be off in her own imagination.

"What about the attention? You must like all of it right?" the voice questioned in an almost uninterested tone.

Still not completely aware of her new company she thought of what answer to give him. "Yeah. I guess I do like to be the center of attention sometimes. On the other hand I don't really care for the kind of attention I get."

"What do you mean the _kind_ of attention? Is there more than one kind?"

"Well yes." she began sitting up in her seat. "When people who love you gather around and pay attention to you because they care…then that's the right kind of attention. But when people don't care for you, it-" Finally aware of the stranger sitting next to her she opened her eyes.

Turning to see them her jaw dropped in astonishment.

Sitting beside her in what appeared to be a black trench coat, dress pants, and a plain grey T-shirt sat a boy around her age. He was slightly pail, with deep blue eyes and hair so blue it nearly appeared to be black. Everything about him was magnificent…however…

"D-dad…" she breathed not knowing what to think about this strange, new boy.

"Shh!" he hissed holding a finger to her lips.

As his skin touched hers she flinched away. Instead of feeling cool or warm, his touch seemed to send static rushing over her skin. The sensation was enough to divert her attention from alerting Jack to the boy's presence.

Giving her a sneaky smile the boy took her hand and quickly led her away from the bench and out of town square.

"Hey! Let go of me!" Pulling against the odd tingling sensation of his hand on her wrist she managed to get free. Glaring as fiercely as she could Raven felt as if she could punch him for putting his hands on her without her permission. "I have half a mind to kick your-." she muttered.

Placing his finger over her mouth once more the boy again smiled. "Ah. It would be best if you didn't cause such a fuss. I simply wanted to attend your party."

"Well the party's back there genius, and it's invitation only." Turning to return to the square she found him blocking her path. Now things were getting strange. '_How did he manage to block my path? He was just behind me." _

"Hey, hold on a minute." he begged. "I just want to talk with you."

Curling her fists she prepared to fight back if needed. "Talk? Why couldn't we talk back in the square? Better yet, why couldn't you just go talk to Jack or the Mayor?"

Lowering his hands in an effort to show sincerity he gave a great sigh. "Look. I'm a little lost here ok?" he began. "I just sort of…wandered in from who knows where a few days ago."

"If you've been here for a few days, then why haven't I ever seen you before?" she questioned not sure if she should believe him.

"That's the thing. I don't know this place at all. By the looks of it, your Jack is the one that really seems to run everything. I need you to go talk to him for me…in privet."

Considering her position and his reasoning she narrowed her eyes as if looking for any signs of trickery in his nature. "Hmm…you know. I shouldn't trust you after you pretty much kidnapped me from a Christmas party. I should tell jack all about this little adventure of ours, and see what he thinks. I should-"

"But you wont." he stated with a sheepish grin. "I've been watching you for a few days. You aren't that type of person."

Once again silenced by the stranger Raven blushed a light red. "I don't know who you are, and I'd toss you right back out to where ever it is you came from. I should slap you for even touching me without permission first." Placing her hands on her waist she drew in a deep breath. "…but somehow you're right. I will not tell Jack about this, seeing as you did not harm me."

"Great!" he cheered reaching out to shake her hand. "Oh! By the way, my name is Zalen."

Not wishing to experience the strange sensation of his touch ever again she grabbed his shirt collar and walked him back to the square. '_Dad is never going to allow this.' _

Again, things did not go as planned.

"What?" Raven shrieked nearly pulling out her hair. "You mean he can actually stay?"

"Why certainly! It will give you someone to hang around with. Besides, he fit's in perfectly. I mean he's obviously dead." Jack exclaimed seemingly legitimately happy.

"I'd rather hand around with a noose."

Gathering around the newcomer the towns people seemed almost instantly enthralled with him. Being dead obviously had it's perks. "Hey. I guess you were right about your dad Raven. I could have talked to him no problem!" he laughed.

"How do you know my name?" she growled.

"Well I HAVE been watching you for a few days, so I kinda picked up on it."

Watching everyone including Jack whisk him away into the fray of the party, she realized her one chance a year to be like was ruined. "Great." Turning to head home she spotted Mr. and Mrs. Clause watching her in a bit of confusion. "You might as well go back to Christmas town…I doubt they'll be having anything to do with anyone other that that boy for a while.

Nodding in agreement Santa smiled. "I still have a gift for you too Raven." he said rummaging through his bag. "Ah. Here we are." Pulling out a small rectangular package wrapped in read and green handed it over. "Remember not to open it until Christmas day. You know how I feel about these things."

"Yes Mr. Clause, I know." she replied with as good a smile as she could come up with.

Climbing up next to Mrs. Clause in the seat of his sleigh he was off in a flash and flurry of white light and snow.

Looking down at the gift she had been given she closed her eyes in an attempt to not be sour about the way the evening had turned out. "At least Mr. Clause didn't INSTANTANEOUSLY forget about me." Tossing the package to the cobblestone street she shook her head and walked home.


	5. A Walk on the Wild Side

In the day's following the Christmas party blunder, Raven took to staying out of town and away from anyone she could for as long as she could. Fortunately that didn't seem to be an issue seeing how fond Jack and the other locals were becoming of Zalen.

In fact, Jack had hardly been around to keep an eye on her at all in almost a week. The spare time was fantastic at first, however she soon found herself with nothing to do but sleep.

"Ugh…I hate that stupid boy. He's so… so annoying!" Rolling over in the pumpkin patch near the enterance to the Dead Woods forest, she gave a great sigh. _'You know…I bet I could make it to the holiday gates and back without anyone even noticing my absence.' _she thought with a mischievous smile.

Sitting up she looked around for any signs of someone that would perhaps keep her from leaving. Once she was sure no such obstacle could trouble her, she got to her feet and brushed off her pants. "Well I'll be back in a short while Jack." she stated as if he were standing at her side.

Taking a few steps forward she looked back and held a hand over her ear as if listening to someone that only she could see. "What's that Jack? You say the dead woods aren't a good place for me to wander off in? Psh…I'll be fine on my own. I mean, I've always wanted to see the holiday gates for myself right?" Turning back she continued her stroll down the path.

Hours passed with very little to occupy her mind as she strolled. Every so often a crow would pass overhead, and if she was quiet and slow she could maybe catch a glimpse of what small, dead creatures lived among the rotting wood and the stone of the forest.

"This is Halloween, Halloween da da da do da la~" As she had suspected, an entire day had nearly crawled by as she made her way thorough the twisting and winding path until… "Oh great…what happens now?"

Peering down at the dirt path beneath her feet Raven groaned in disappointment. It seemed the path simply ended once it passed the borders between the land of Halloween and the outlands which spanned an unfathomable distance beyond the Dead Woods.

"Jack would kill me…but the holiday gates must be close by now." Looking back before stepping into the unknown she swallowed hard. _'He'd kill me.' _she thought with an uneasy feeling welling up in her chest. "No. I won't let him stop me. I know! Maybe when I get to the gates I can drop in on Mr. and Mrs. Clause."

For her the mere chance to travel through a simple door into another holiday's realm seemed to good of an opportunity to pass up. It was even conceivable that she would pass up Christmas land and go straight for one of the other doors.

Possibilities of where to go and what to do flooded her mind as she walked off aimlessly in any direction her feet chose to lead her. Before long she realized how low the sun was sinking in the sky. Unfortunately for her, every tree looked the same as it's neighbor.

"This…isn't good." Turning around she realized how dark the space off in the distance had become.

~**Back in Halloween Town **

"Jack! Jack!" Sally called walking in to city hall with a small basket of what appeared to be Christmas cookies and a bit of ham.

Looking over his shoulder Jack smiled and waved. "Well hello Sal, I thought you'd be down visiting Dr. Finklestein and his new assistant today." giving a small chuckle he looked over to Zalen. "Ah yes, I don't believe you've met my wife Sally yet."

Getting to his feet Zalen took one hand from his coat pocket and extended it in greeting. "Hey Sally, nice to meet you. The name's Zalen."

"So I've heard." Accepting his hand she turned back to Jack. "I made Raven dinner, but I can't find her anywhere Jack." she stated with a worried expression. "Has she been around at all today?"

Scratching his head Jack began to think back on the events of the day. "Hmm…no. As a matter of fact she left the house early today didn't she?"

"Yes she did." Placing the basket on the table she hand her arms against her chest. "Jack, I'm starting to worry about her. I checked the pumpkin patch, the rolling hills, and I even dropped by the lake to see if she'd taken a boat out, but I still couldn't find her anywhere."

The look of worry now spread over Jacks face as he stood from his place at the table. "Have you checked with the witches?"

"Three times." she replied.

"What about the corps family? She might have gone by their place today."

"I saw them on the way in. They've been at the park all day."

"The vampire brothers?"

"All sleeping."

"Red devil?"

"Stirring up trouble in the mortal world today."

"What about us?" Came the shrill cry of Shock's voice as she Lock and Barrel walked in looking particularly amused. "What if we've seen something?"

Not at all in the mood to deal with the three trouble makers Jack seemed ready and willing to toss his chair at them. "You three trick or treating monsters should be gone by the time I count to three if you know what's good for you." he fumed. "One. "1"

"But Jack it's important." Barrel protested from behind his mask.

"2..."

"We saw Raven-" Lock began.

"**3**...!"

"-walk into the Dead Woods this morning!" Shock finished before hiding in fear behind her two companions.

Eyes wide Jack looked as pail a white as a skeleton ever could. "The dead woods…? So she's run off in there again." Leaning over the three now trembling children he gave them the scariest look he could. "Now tell me before I get REALLY upset. What _exactly _is it you saw?"

"W-well Jack…that is you see Jack…" Shock's mask fell from it's place on her face as she shook. "That is um.."

"We h-herd her say something about the h-holiday gates…" Both Lock and Barrel stumbled over the words as they attempted to explain without falling over.

"No…she'd have to cross over our boarders." Jack was now filled with as many emotions at one man could hold. Both anger and fear consumed him equaly, and looking over to Sally's horrified face he curled his fists. "What time did she leave?"

"A-around noon." Shock replied.

Curling the fingers of his hands nearly a foot in front of their faces he scowled in anger. "And you decided to give her till night fall to rat her out?"

Pulling him away from the three trembling figures now huddled against a wall Sally looked him in the eye. "Getting angry isn't going to get her home safe Jack. She need's YOU."

Knowing she was right and realizing what little time he may have left Jack held Sally closer than he had in a long time. "Don't worry. She's no pushover Sal, Raven's as cunning as any creature she may come across. I'll find her before anything happens."

Rushing out into the square he rallied as many creatures and spirits as he could before racing off into the woods. However, had he taken care to look around before leaving…he might have noticed someone missing.

Running from something off in the darkness far behind her Raven began to panic. Whatever it was seemed to be closing in with the fall of darkness, and if she didn't figure out how she would evade it soon it was going to catch up.

With the fear, regret began to quickly consume her._ 'Curse my mortality! If I were something vicious…or even something with wings…them maybe I could…' _she never could have believed she would be wishing for sharp fangs or ghastly wings to escape a situation such as the one she currently faced.

Stopping for a moment she looked over at the realization that something appeared to be shining off in the distance.

"What on earth is that?" she wondered at the darkness grew closer. Making her way over she smiled seeing the outline of a door on the trunk of a tree. _'I made it! I don't care how, but I finally found the gateways. I can go home!" _

With the growing sound of crashing trees racing to catch up with her, she realized time was almost up. Racing to the door she looked around for the different shapes and doors which Jack had described… however, there was nothing to be found. Only one door. One plain, ordinary door.

For a second anxiety began to creep in. Something about this didn't seem right. Unfortunately darkness finally fell over her.

She was left with no choice.


	6. Holiday Town

"_Shh! You might wake her…"_

"Huh…?" Opening her eyes at the sound of hushed voices, Raven winced as the sun's light washed over her face. "Oh, what in the-" Lifting her arms to shield her vision she attempted to sit up straight. Unfortunately, something seemed to be holding her flat on her back. _'What in the world has she done this time?' _she thought assuming Sally had maybe given her something to help her sleep.

This however was not the aftereffect of some drug or grog. In fact the problem was a bit more troubling than that.

Gaining more consciousness with every passing moment she came to realize that she was in fact tied down to something both stiff and jagged. Feeling whatever it was that lay beneath her she cringed. _'Rock? Why am I stuck to a rock?' _

Finally the memory of the night prior began to catch up with her. Running through darkness and then jumping through the door as a last resort. Finally the fall began to come back to her in small pieces. All it seemed that remained after that was darkness.

"Hey! I know you're here." she called struggling underneath the thin straps which held her in place.

"Be still." The deep, low voice of an older man broke through the whispers that had been echoing through out the room. "Struggling is not in your best interest."

"My best interest? You've got me tied to a rock, and you're worried about what's best for me?" she scoffed continuing her struggle. "Let me up right this minute!"

The sudden sound of latches being freed caught her off guard. "Uh.." The straps were now loose enough for her to push away with ease. "Thanks I guess." _'It was that easy?' _

A deep chuckle erupted from just beside her where the clasps had been undone. "Don't thank me quite yet. After all, you _were_ strapped down for your own good."

"Sure thing." Sitting up she waited for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the room where she now sat. As the darkness cleared she could see a few large clocks, a work bench, several dusty shelves filled with rusted tools and in the corner a quaint wood frame bed. "Huh…I expected torture chamber, but it's just a normal house."

"Torture chamber? Listen. I didn't bring you here because I'm some kind of psycho." he stated walking to the workbench. "You're here because the people in town found you passed out in a stable."

"Stable?" she questioned. '_What's a stable?'_

"So they say." he repeated. "The twins said you smashed right through their roof last night, so they brought you here when you didn't come around." Looking over the walking stick he had created the man returned to his feet and tossed it over to her. "There."

"What's this for?" she mumbled not wanting to be rude. "What do I need a stick for?"

"Oh. You'll find out." he chuckled before walking to the door. "By the way, the name's Chan. That's pronounced H-A-N. Sort of how the beginning of Hanukkah is pronounced."

Tilting her head Raven smiled. "What's Hanukkah?"

A sudden shift in his mood nearly caused Chan to loose his temper. "Never mind that. Just…just come outside when you can."

Standing to walk after him she got a nasty surprise. Crumpling into a heap on the wooden floor, her ankle began to pulse as if her heart had fallen into her leg. "A-ah…that hurt…" Pushing her self from the floor she leaned up against what she had believed to be a rock.

Looking back she found instead a large slab of ancient wood surrounded by bandages and vials filed with what she guessed was different sorts of medicines and potions. From the way everything was now laid out, she could see that he had indeed been taking care of her.

'_Well look at me. Calling his home a torture chamber after he did so much to help me.'_ Guilt flooded her mind as she looked over at the walking stick. "…he's like some kind of angel or something." Nabbing the stick from where it had rolled under the table she once again got the her feet.

Hobbling her way out the front door, she paused with wide eyes at what she saw there. "What on earth…is all of this?"

It was Halloween town, or so it almost appeared. The buildings were in all the right places, town square was where it had always been, rolling hills peaked over the stone walls that outlined the city, and the forest was in the same place as well. Everything about where she now stood mirrored her home in nearly complete detail…only.

Things in this Halloween Town were as alive and vibrant as they could possibly be.

"I can't believe it, this is so brilliant!" her heart began to pound as she walked down the steps into the square. Stepping onto the street she felt the warmth of the sun baked stones under her feet and smiled. Everything from the grass on the ground, to the pine needles on the trees began to excite her, and looking back she noticed how normal each of the buildings seemed to be. "I could definitely get used to this."

"I told you she didn't see us." chirped the gleeful voice of a young boy from the doorway of Chan's house. "She's not very vigilant is she Raksha?"

Turning to see who was talking Raven found both a young boy and girl standing where she had been only moments before.

"Oh hush Yomi. It was _you_ that woke her up after all." scolded the girl begore turning away from her brother in a huff.

She wore a simple white dress with long baggy sleeves, while her brother wore both a white shirt and pants. They shared the same brown hair, the same blue-green eyes, and the same tan shoes. The obvious conclusion one could draw was that the two children must be twins.

Raven however hardly noticed any of these qualities in either of the youngsters. Instead she found herself completely fixed on another prominent characteristic the two shared. "Y-you two are alive!"

Halting their argument the two simply stared back at her in confusion.

"Well thanks for stating the obvious,-" Yomi stated walked down the stares and down the street in an attempt to prolong their communication with one another. "but Raksha and I have somewhere to be right now."

Giving a sigh in disappointment Raksha agreed. "Well it was pleasant to meet you Miss…um…"

"Raven…" she stated feeling equally as disappointed in their leaving. "It was nice to meet you both as well…"

A moment of silence went by as Raksha stood torn between leaving and staying. "No! We don't have anywhere to be today actually!" she declared with a smile. "As a matter of fact, my brother and I will be happy to be your guide through Holiday Town."

"R-Raksha!" Yomi protested. "Raksha, you're going to get us in trouble with-" cutting himself off before he finished he walked forward and pulled his sister a short distance away. Once the two were out of ear shot he gave her an angered scowl. "_**You know what YOU KNOW WHO told us about keeping to ourselves. We aren't supposed to talk to her**_."

"_**She's the only real guest we've had in town since your YOU KNOW WHO came to town! I won't be cold to her just because HE told us to**_." she hissed pushing him away a bit. Turning back to a rather puzzled looking Raven Raksha smiled. "Well. Now that we've gotten today's plans cleared up, why don't we start by properly introducing ourselves?"

"Oh! Of course. Where has my head been?" Leaning on her good leg Raven extended a hand. "My name is Raven Eleanor Skellington. I came through a door in a world called the Land of Halloween."

Accepting her hand Raksha nabbed her dress with a free hand and curtsied. "Pleasure to meet you Raven. My name is Raksha Bandhan, but people call me Raksha for short. My holiday celebrates the love and affection between brothers and sisters." Reaching out for her brothers hesitant hand, she pulled him in close. "And this is Yom Kippur. He doesn't like to be called by his full name on normal days, so we call him Yomi. His holiday-"

"Is a very important religious holiday meant for the atonement of sins and mistakes. It only happens once a year." Yomi stated in a proud tone.

"Sort of like church, but only once a year." Raksha teased.

Turning red Yomi curled his fists at his sides and looked away. "That's not funny!"

Finally starting to understand what this world was, Raven smiled. "So…everyone that lives here is a small holiday?"

Gasping in a bit of shock at what she had just said, the two children fell silent. Looking to one another it was as if they had just been given awful news.

"What? What did I say?" Raven asked in confusion.

Lunging forward Raksha took both of Ravens hands in her own. "Please Raven, don't ever say that again! We…I mean the holidays here…they're just as important as any other holiday!"

"That's right! So don't go calling us small just because we don't have our own world or gateway…" Yomi stated in a demanding tone. "It isn't right."

"You know something? I disagree." Raven could see the look of anger growing on Yomi's face as she spoke, and kneeling down to meet him at his level she smiled. "It's ok to be a smaller holiday. It means your simple…still pure and traditional. Some of my father's best friends are smaller holidays. Take the Forth of July for example, or St. Patrick's day. Not everyone celebrates them, so they haven't grown too much over the years. There's still a lot of tradition in those holidays. Maybe they're just for fun, but being small can be a very big advantage." finally falling over in a bit of pain she clutched her ankle.

Both Yomi and Raksha seemed perplexed by this new way of looking at things. It had never occurred to them that being considered small might mean something good.

"There you are Raven."

'_Someone please break my other leg.' _she begged not wishing to look over at the familiar voice which had addressed her. "Zalen…what on earth are _**you**_ doing here?" she groaned.

"I ran across the door while I was searching for you." Strolling up to her he assessed the damage she had inflicted on herself. "Why did you run off like that?"

Looking away she blew a bit of hair out of her eyes. "What business is it of yours? I can do whatever I want, and I can do it without telling someone first…especially Y-O-U."

"Raven~" he sighed kneeling down beside her. "Please allow me to take you home. I want you home safe and sound tonight. Jack and Sally have been searching for hours trying to find you."

'_Oh yeah…I forgot about them.' _Smacking her head into her walking stick she groaned in anger. "Damn it…I just- WOAH! Hey! What the heck are you doing Zalen?" Taken by complete surprise Raven wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up off of the ground.

Looking over at the kids Zalen cracked a smile. "Please excuse us, but she needs to get home to have her wound's checked out."

Attention now focused on his firm grip Raven barely noticed the nervous looks both Yomi and Raksha now appeared to be giving the two of them.

"Cha-Chan did a good job fixing her up you-!" finding Yomi's hand over her mouth, Raksha closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down.

Walking away Zalen glared over at the two of them in a small attempt to reprimand them. It was clear that he didn't wish for them to say another word.

"Oh! Yomi! Raksha!" Raven called with one last goodbye. "I'll come back in a few days to take that tour you both owe me! Please take care for me!"

Waving goodbye with forced smiles they both watched as Zalen whisked her away.

'_Oh Miss Raven, please don't get to close to him. Not all things…are as they seem to be.' _


	7. From One Minute to the Next

The trip back to Halloween Town took almost half a day's walk through the thick vegetation of the forest floor. Fortunately, Raven didn't seem to mind the journey quite as much as Zalen.

Every twist and turn was different in this new world, and looking up into the lush, green trees she was able to spot several different types of animals which she had never seen before. It was unreal how much life could thrive in a place like this, and she couldn't seem to get enough of the sights and smells that surrounded her.

Unfortunately, the fun ended once they reached the 'true' holiday gates. Certainly every realm possessed it's own copies of the gates, but just this once she wished for an exception. "Please don't take me back. I-I don't want to know what dad has planned for me when I get back."

Placing her on the ground near the pumpkin shaped door Zalen folded his arm's with a sigh. "You know something? You're starting to become a real pain in my side Miss. Raven."

Clutching the stick Chan had given her firmly in her right hand she looked up in total disbelief. "A pain in _**your**_ side? _**I**_ am a pain in _**your **_side!" forcing herself up on both feet she marched forward. "I otta kill you right now for that load of-"

"Shh~" he whispered holding a finger over her mouth. "I've told you before. A lady should not use foul language." Arrogantly smiling down at her he chuckled as if he had now completely ended the conversation.

Backing up with a blank expression Raven simply stared back at him.

"Well. Good to see you're finally coming around to my way of thinking." Strolling over to the Halloween Town gateway Zalen grasped the handle and smoothly opened the door. "You know something?"

Holding up her thumb she made sure the angle was just right. "No. I don't know anything." she exaggerated.

Leaning into the doorways he placed both hands in his coat pockets. "These gateways are the oddest thing I think I've ever come across."

"_**Really**_?" Grasping the walking stick firmly in both hands she tapped it on the end of her shoe.

"Well yes." he replied reaching one hand into the darkness. "It's a whole world in one tree. Isn't that strange?"

Holding the staff as if it were a baseball bat she narrowed her eyes. "Sure. I guess it could be called strange." Finally it was time to fish or cut bait. "Hey, before you say anything else…could you do me a favor?"

"You need help again? What is it this ti-"At the sight of Raven's staff hurtling toward him, Zalen's smile seemed to almost flea from his expression. The pain from the blow was minimal, however it did cause him to fall back against the tree. "O-ouch! What the he-"

Pressing the larger end of the staff up to his throat, she turned scarlet in fury. "I swear if you ever talk down to me again I…I'll…!"

"You'll what? _**Kill**_ me?" Forcing her back with one graceful motion, he cackled in a bit of amusement. "You cannot kill what has already DIED!"

Catching herself with the help of her staff, Raven reached into her pant pocket. Revealing a knife she sighed. "I'm offended that you think I don't know the logistics of death." Limping forward her teeth began to show behind a wicked smile. "Murder isn't my thing."

Backing into the doorway with a nervous grin he eyed the knife in her hand. "N-now now… don't be hasty with that thing." Waving his hands in front of him in defense Zalen's eyes grew wide. _'She wouldn't dare…'_

Using the walking stick to push herself off the ground, she lunged forward, grabbed his shoulders, and together they began to plummet through the darkness into the land of Halloween.

Meanwhile, chaos ran rampant through the streets and hills of Halloween Town. Every ghoul, phantom, witch and monster roamed the land searching for the two lost teens. Everyone other than Jack and Sally hoping for the worst.

"Just think about it Simon." Medea, an intoxicatingly vile witch cackled from atop her broomstick. "We'll hand the body over to that fat old Christmas oaf, and he won't be able to do a thing to anyone! Jack will finally be free to raise a family of his own! Perhaps he'll even give the town an heir to the title of Pumpkin King!"

Simon, a funny dwarf of a creature, sat in a cauldron dangling from the end of the broomstick scanning the hills below. "Keep dreaming. With our luck, she'll come back with more humans just like her." Slumping back in his cauldron he yawned. "Actually, to tell the truth…I don't think she's all that bad."

Rolling her eyes she agreed. "Yeah, I suppose she isn't the most awful thing in the world. Why…if it weren't for the fact that our Jack had to postpone everything for the little brat, she might even be good company."

"Humph…" Simon groaned straightening out his top hat. "We'd better get back to town with out report. Nothing this way but a lake and some sink holes."

"Yeah." Pulling the broomstick to face town, Medea gave it a stern smack. "Go one broom! Back to town square!"

Off they went in a blur of black and green shooting through the sky. Unfortunately for them, their timing couldn't have been worse.

"I'll rip you apart!" Raven's voice broke through the silence as both she and Zalen slammed into the broom from above.

"Give me that knife!" Reaching for the small pocket knife in her hand, Zaiden was instead shocked to find a strange old woman where Raven had been only moments before. "What the-"

"-hell?" Clutching the cauldron Raven was completely taken by surprise as Simon's face pressed against her cheek. "Simon? What in the world are you doing here?"

Pushing away from her face he looked down. "Falling!"

"What?" Turning to see what had him so alarmed, she too began to scream. "Up! Up now!"

Medea however, appeared to be quite preoccupied. "Get you're hand's off of me pretty boy!" she screeched with her boot in his face. "I! Said! OFF!" Forcing him into a sitting position she finally made an attempt to set the broom right.

Watching the lake grow larger Raven continued to scream. "Any day now please!"

"I'm givin er' all she's got! We've got too much weight on board!" Medea screamed as she continued to pull up on the broom. "Looks like we're all gunna get wet!"

"Medea! You can't get wet!" Simon cried. "You'll turn to stone!"

"What?" Looking between Medea and the lake, Raven watched as the water drew nearer. "We have to do something!"

Taking a moment to think, Zalen began to hatch an idea. "You! Creature in the pot!" Gripping the cauldrons handle, he began to push it forward. "Can you swim well?"

Not wishing to know where the boy was coming from, Simon simply swallowed hard and watched as his cauldron slipped from the broom.

"Wait! Raven let go of the pot!" Realizing too late that he had launched Raven into the lake along with the cauldron and Simon, Zalen reached out in vain. "Raven! Turn around!"

Seeing that the broom had nearly come to a complete stop, Raven smiled, momentarily unaware that she remained plummeting towards the lakes surface. This however, soon became apparent. "Za-agh…!" Closing her mouth as she entered the water, she squinted in the murky water. _'Well…that wasn't too awful.'_ she thought before simply swimming around the heavy cauldron as I sank to the bottom.

"Mmm! Hemm memmm!" The gurgled sound of Simon's voice sank with his iron pot.

Turning to see the pot dissapear from view, she floated motionless in blind confusion. Her lungs burned, and the sunlight at the waters surface looked more inviting than it ever had, but could she bring herself to save her own skin? No. he was a citizen of Halloween Town. Not only that, but it was her father's job to protect them. No. She wouldn't let Jack down, and she couldn't leave Simon to die.

Angling herself downward, she swam as fast as her body would carry her into the darkness. It only took a moment to reach the bottom, but where was the cauldron? "Simon!" she called, releasing nearly all of the air she had left.

*tang-tang-tang* came a few small taps from a few feet to her left.

Narrowing her eyes even further, she could vaguely make out the round shape of the pot. _'Got it.'_ reaching down she could feel the place where Simon's shirt had become ensnared on the pot's handle.

'_What's she doing? Doesn't she know what danger she's in?' _Inside, Simon had always known he would be ok until help arrived. For a Halloween spirit such as himself, suffocation or death normally took much longer than it did for a normal human. Looking up as his shirt broke free he smiled in appreciation.

Sadly, Raven's body slumped against the cauldron as the last bit of air poured from her body. _'It's weird to think…I was so mad a few minutes ago. Now look at me. Saving someone from the town of people who despise me.' _It was almost funny to think that not ten minutes ago, she was ready to rip Zalen a new one, and now…she was lying at the bottom of a lake.

These thoughts and more raced through Raven's head as somehow he body seemed to somehow be floating to the surface. He body ached for air that it couldn't find, and water desperately tried to force it's way in.

'_I can't just give up…my parents, my new friends, and my future all depend on me!' _with these thoughts her body twitched a bit in an attempt to float up faster.

For a moment her attempt appeared to be working. Faster and faster she seemed to float through the water. Then it occurred to her that perhaps _**she**_ wasn't the one doing all of the work. Opening her eyes she could vaguely spy the surface quickly approaching, and among the golden blur of light, something large appeared to be swimming just above her.

Fortunately her eyes once again snapped shut, and the pain vanished with the air's return to her body. She could hear her name, however it was far away now. "I'll be just fine…" she breathed.

"Raven! Raven you idiot, wake up!" Dragging her sleeping form to shore as quickly as he could, Zalen did his best to check her over. "Damn you…why did you go and do something so stupid?"

"Is stupid what you call saving my hide?" Simon wheezed, dragging himself from the water. "I-It seam's to me…" he gasped. "…that I- have vastly underestimated her value to my health!" Falling to the sand to catch his breath, he began to laugh. "Man oh man…what a great time that was."

Reaching over to grasp Simon's neck, Zalen restrained himself. "She almost died to save someone who's already dead, and you're sitting there like it was a blast?"

"Hey there pal." Rolling over onto his side Simon pushed himself into a sitting position. "Do I look dead to you?"

"Well…"

"Don't answer that." He responded, realizing his question was obviously NOT the right one to ask. "Let me explain something to ya kid. I'm no stiff." Getting to his feet and stretching his back, he walked over to be sure Raven was still alive. "She knows something youz don't know. Spirits like me aren't like Jack and Sally and all a them. Spirits like me are living, breathing creatures."

"So you're like a human?" Zalen asked perplexed by this new information.

"Well uh…no. You see, we spirits can sometimes live hundreds of years. In fact, my uncle Vinny once said that he saw-"

"Focus."

"Oh. Right, right." he said giving Zalen a stern look. "Well any how. She knows a spirit like me can die. I'm pretty tough though, so she could have left me down there for a little while…but…" Watching her face regain a bit of color he smiled. "She came back for ol' Simon. For a human, that takes a lot of moxy."

**A/N: Ok. It's late, and I hope this chapter is at least sort of up to par. If it got confusing please tell me so I can take it down and fix it. Maybe tell me how to fix it? If you found it boaring then please bare with me. It will get interesting soon! I promise! As always R&R so I know you care (please review for every chapter so I know I'm not skimping on quality) Plus, reviewing is the only way I know I'm doing a good job! **


	8. Something's Not Right

"Ready to go?" Zalen hissed from his place in the door of the Skellington's home. For the last few days, he had been in a particularly foul mood. "Raven! I asked if you were ready to go." he snapped again.

Trouncing down the stairs of her parents two story, tower-like home, Raven shot him a glare that stated very clearly how unhappy she was. "I'm ready ok? Look. Just because my dad said you have to keep an eye on me, doesn't mean you _have to_ keep an eye on me."

Rolling his eyes he simply pushed the door open and walked outside. "C'mon. I want to get you there so we can come back."

"What the hell crawled up your butt this morning?" Racing out to catch up, she grabbed an empty sack from a box beneath the staircase and tossed it over her shoulder.

Closing his eyes and stepping into the street he waited as she caught up. "Let's just say I'm a little tired of playing 'baby sitter' for the time being."

"Tired?" she questioned under her breath. '_It's day one, and he's already being a jerk. What happened to the charming stranger I met at the party?' _shaking her head she reached forward to grasp his hand. Just as before there was an odd sensation resonating against the flesh of her hand and she pulled away. "Right…forgot about that."

"What?" he asked with curiosity.

"Nothing. Let's get a move on." Forcing her hands into her pocket she watched as Zalen walked hastily forward. Noticing a small bound in his step as he passed the fountain she tilted her head. _'Did he just…jump over something?' _ Following close behind she swept her foot over the spot to check for any bumps in the road or perhaps any unchecked cracks in the stone.

Nothing.

Reaching back and clasping her forearm, Zalen looked over his shoulder with a fiendish grin that seemed to suit him a bit too well. "If we're going back, we'll be taking the express rout." Pulling her to his side he looked out to the Dead Woods and gave a low whistle.

"Express rout…?" Spotting something odd making its way toward them from in between the branches of the trees, Raven gasped as nearly two hundred crows swooped down and surrounded the two of them.

It was like a tornado of black feathers and cawing as they swirled and dove around them, and as they did all light from the outside was blocked out.

"Hey! Zalen, stop this right now!" she demanded in an angry tone.

Releasing her arm as the flock dissipated, Zalen cracked a smile at seeing the slight glint of fear in her eyes. "No problem because we're here." Shoving her to the side he opened his arms wide in a gesture for her to look around.

Looking away from him she found that he seemed to be right. _'How the hell did we get here?' _she wondered before spying the flock of crows that had just blown her mind. "We were just dropped off by the shadiest group of crows I've ever seen in my life."

"So you've seen other groups of crows less shady than that?" He teased before looking around. He couldn't understand for the life of him why she would want to come back to this world after all of the trouble it had caused her the first time she had come, yet for the moment he could really care less.

Merely ignoring his hateful attitude, Raven pulled a few feathers from her hair and scanned the area in search of what she had come to call "Holiday Town". It was exactly the same as Halloween town (other than the fact that everything was bright and alive), and the people in it seemed extraordinarily kind. "Well your silly birds brought us to the waste lands." Looking down at where she stood she realized that instead of dirt there stood vast blades of tall grass that seemed to expand endlessly into the horizon and into the woods. "Or…it could be a meadow."

"It's that way." Zalen gripped pointing off toward a bend in the tree line. "Just around the bend in the trees and over the hills."

It seemed he was right, and remembering the geography of her own world she KNEW he was right. "How did you know that?" she breathed before realizing he had already started walking off. "Hey! Don't just walk off like that when I ask you a question!"

"I walked off because you keep asking questions." He retorted smartly.

"Humph…" Raven kept her mouth shut as the two of them strolled into town. 'I hope Yomi and Raksha will be in town today.'

"Well hello there Lass! Top of the mornin to ya!" Walking through the streets dressed in a worn, baggy tan shirt with brown pants was a tall, somewhat stick like man. He seemed to smile a lot and atop his head a small wren appearing to have made a nest in his thick red hair.

"Good morning to you as well!" Raven waved back while returning a smile. It looked as if it were destined to be a beautiful day.

~

Within an hour the two met up with Raksha and Yomi for a tour around the town and nearby hills. It took them from the lively crowed in city hall to the rolling hills and magnificent woods of Holiday Town. Much to Raven's liking the town was like her own with significant improvements. Every turn, every building, and every tree were nearly identical to the ones where she was from.

"That was it Miss Skellington. Nothing else to see but a bunch of marsh lands at the edge of the woods, but no one goes back there." Raksha explained as everyone sat down for a picnic lunch of sorts.

"Why not?"

No one would answer as the food was prepped to the be served.

"Would you like to try some?" Raksha asked as Raven eyed the food with curiosity. "Yomi made this food all on his own."  
>Rolling his eyes as his sister fawned over him Yomi pushed a plate toward Raven before turning the other way. It was clear he still disliked spending time with Raven even after spending the majority of the day with her.<p>

This attitude caused a bit of tension between the two of them and Raven took to simply staring at the food and wondering what exactly it was she had been served. The meet was crunchy, the veggies were green and crisp and whatever the sauce was seemed…fresh. Finally her curiosity got the best of her and she took a bite.

Suddenly she was completely addicted to whatever laid on her plate. It stimulated her sense of taste and sent her face into a glowing warmth she hadn't expected. This food made her feel good, and was much better than anything her mother had ever cooked for her. "Yomi! This food is amazing. I-I've never had food like this before."

"What? Really?" He turned around looking perplexed. "It's just fried chicken with broccoli and barbecue sauce…"

She shot him a look of confusion before devouring everything on her plate. "I don't know that any of that stuff was, but it was really good Yomi." Falling back on the grass she looked up at the sky and for the first time in her life, studied a blue sky.

Both Raksha and Yomi pondered how it could be that someone had never even heard of such basic foods.

"I hope you don't mind my asking Raven, but why do you seem so excited about everything here? I mean it's not like this place is different from any other." Raksha stated while taking a big bite out of a head of broccoli.

"Well where I grew up the locals are a little more…dead than you might be used to, and the trees and sky are all so grey and lifeless. There's no grass, no clouds, and no food like this." Raven sighed as if she were talking about a place she would rather not revisit. "Nothing like this place."

"Wow. That wound's awful…" Raksha looked off to the side suddenly disturbed. "Why do you live there? Don't you have a world of your own to live in?"

"I'm human, so I don't have anywhere else to go but the real world…and that sounds like an even bigger drag than Halloween Town." Standing up she decided that she had had enough sitting. "Let's go. I've only got a little longer to look around and I don't want to miss anything."

~~~~

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful as the tour came to a close. Raven was desperate to see a sunset after such a magnificent day, and couldn't understand why it was that Zalen wouldn't allow her to stay behind.

"It's time we leave Raven. Jack and the other's will get worried about you, and your mother said the doctor had a surprise for us." Pulling her hand lightly in the direction, he wasn't surprised when she didn't follow right away.

"You have to at least let me say good bye." She protested as she pulled her hand away.

Her rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Fine. Just be quick about it."

Turning to Raksha and her brother Yomi Raven held out a hand. "Maybe someday we can hug goodbye. I've never had any real friends, so I don't know what it's like."

"Jeez. For an adult human you sure do act as clueless as a child." Yomi refused her hand and walked away. "Some of us only LOOK like children."

Giving a sigh as her brother stormed off Raksha accepted Raven's hand with a smile before looking around to be certain no one was looking. "_Raven…please don't come back here. There are things going on involving the worlds that I can't talk about, but please don't get in the middle." _ Releasing her hand Raksha ran back to her brother who had yet to turn back around.

What she had just heard confused Raven greatly. It would be something she would need to toss it around in her head for a while to understand…if even she could.

"Raven." Zalen called from just a few feet away. He had heard everything, but simply gestured for her to join him before starting his walk to the outskirts of the city.

As he walked and the two of them passed the fountain in the center of the square Raven noticed as he jumped to avoid a flower. This was the same place he had jumped in Halloween Town square that morning as the two of them were leaving.

_'He's been here before…?' _


	9. Oogie's Return

"What on earth is going on here?"

Just outside of city hall, stood an entire crowd of citizens both big and small. What it was they had gathered to see was a mystery, and Raven almost passed it up all together until she spotted Jack standing in the middle of the fray. That invoked enough curiosity to at least check it out.

Making her way to the middle of the scene Raven spotted Jack standing hunched over Sally who seemed to be sitting in a chair facing the other direction. She held something in her arms, but what it was became blocked by anxious on lookers. It even appeared, that for the first time in the history of her existence, not one of the town's folk attempted to take a verbal jab at her as she passed. No. They were much too entranced by whatever it was Sally was holding.

"Hey dad, what's up?" She was quick to get Jack's attention and was surprised by the look of total confusion upon his face. "Hello? Dad?"

Shaking his face back into its normal state Jack smacked his palm to his head before smiling. "Sorry Raven, I guess I lost myself." 

If she hadn't known any better, she would have guessed that he had forgotten who she was for a moment. That was worrisome. "I'm back from Holiday Town."

Again his expression sank into confusion. "Oh! Right, that town through the door with all the small holidays."

"Yeah…" This was getting tiresome. "So what's going on?"

Now Jack seemed to know something. "It's absolutely amazing." Taking her by the hand he led Raven around to face Sally directly, and what met them was both shocking and unnerving. "Dr. Finklestein surprised us this morning. He put so much work into her, isn't she wonderful?"

Looking up at her Raven found a baby girl swaddled in a white cloth. Her construction was similar to Sally's and yet her face resembled that of Jack. This was a new baby…a baby sister no less, and from the look of it both Sally and Jack were in love. _'I don't know why…but this does not bode well for me…' _

For the next few minutes both Jack and Sally went on and on about the happiness the two of them were now feeling. They were ecstatic and quite frankly they seemed to have very big plans for their new child. She would have said something if the two hadn't become once again enthralled in what they were doing.

"Raven. Might I have a word with you?" Addressing her was none other than Dr. Finklestein. He wore an odd grin upon his face that would make anyone uncomfortable. Another sign of bad things to come.

Watching him extend a hand she accepted and followed him out. On the way they passed Zalen who looked somewhat concerned as to what was happening but turned away before he could show any real concern.

Upon reaching the outskirts of town Finklestein stopped and turned to face Raven with a serious look upon his face. "My dear, there is no nice way to say this…but I believe you have served your purpose. It's about time you went home."

Giving him a confused look she closed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

Releasing a sigh he gestured to walk beside him further away from Halloween Town. "What I am saying is simple. Your arrival in this world all those years ago was most likely an accident. My Sally found you and Jack, loving her as he did, allowed you to stay against his better judgment. Now theses have been a trying 18 years, however they have proved their worth in helping prepare both Jack and Sally for their TRUE family."

Stepping out into the Doctors path Raven cut him off. "What the hell do you mean "REAL family"?" She shook with rage at what he seemed to be implying. "You think I was just some sort of trial run?!"

"That is **precisely** what you were!" He hissed. "No one in this place will ever accept a mortal, you should know that by now. Jack and Sally are no different." Calming himself he turned back to face the distant town. "Look…"

"Look what?" Raven sounded more than a little angry.

"Thick…**look to the town**." Waiting for her to follow his example the doctor cleared his throat. "What do you see? Is there anything living? Breathing? No. This Raven, is a land of the dead. Frozen in time and in need of new residents, residents who belong, citizens unlike yourself." Turning back to face her he gave an evil grin. "Unless you'd like to try to belong. Would you like that?"

Backing away Raven was suddenly afraid of the Doctor. He was suggesting the impossible, and she knew he knew that. "That's impossible. You know it's impossible."

"We'll never know unless we try. Will we my dear?" Slowly approaching her, he laughed. "However, I don't enjoy failure." Shaking his head the doctor sighed. "That day…the day you arrived. Jack wanted to send you back to the real world as soon as possible. It took that wretched Sandy Claws to convince him to keep you. For almost 3 years Jack refused to spend time with you. Finally he gave in when Mr. Claws scolded him and threatened to never allow him the ability to visit the Christmas realm again. Jack was so addicted to his yearly visits to the other holiday realms, he caved and became the Jack you know today."

This was news to Raven, and for once she shut up and listened. She could remember his distance from all those years ago, but was never able to piece it all together. "It's true…you're not lying to me."

"I would never lie about such an important matter." He reassured her. "If you care about this world or this town…if you care about Jack and Sally, you will turn and leave now. I don't care where you go, but you can't stay here."

"Then she can come with me." Zalen stood as still as a statue, and it took a moment for either Raven or the Doctor to spot him in the midst of the several tomb stones surrounding them. "Jack did put me in charge of making sure she stays out of trouble in the other worlds after all."

Thinking it over for almost an entire second the doctor agreed. "Now remember what I said girl. It would be best if you never came back."

Walking forward Zalen took Raven firmly by the hand and began to lead her away. What was worse…he seemed to be leading her to Christmas town. 

"Hey! Wait a minute-" She sounded distraught as he dragged her into the woods. "You can't do this!" she tried to force her hand out of his but found it useless. "No! Not that. Take me ANYWHERE but Christmas Town! Take me to Holiday Town, please just take me there!"

"No. I will not take you to Holiday Town." He stated coolly. "It's not safe for you there…"

"Not safe? So it's true! You have been lying to everyone…" Reaching over and grabbing a tree limb she forcibly stopped him in his tracks. "We aren't going anywhere until you tell me what you're hiding!"

Finally it seemed he had had enough of her, and pushing her up against a tree he held her there. "You want to know? Well that's too bad, because I didn't put so much time into protecting you just to blow it all now!" He was in her face now, only inches away from her. "Please don't ask any more questions. I've been doing my best to keep you away from that place. You can't imagine how valuable you are n the event's that are about to take place."

"What do you mean valuable?" He had gotten her attention and all questions she had only burned into her mind even more so than they had before. "Why do I matter? Why do you care about it?"

Looking her in the eye Zalen looked legitimately anxious. "Please no more questions."

"But I-" Raven found her protest interrupted when Zalen pressed his lips firmly against her own. The feeling of electricity…that feeling she would always get when his skin touched hers…it was almost unbearable, but at the same time she found it oddly pleasing and intoxicating.

After a moment he released her and looked away. "I'm sorry I forced that on you…it's just…nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing." The strange voice of a man echoed through the trees just to the left of both Raven and Zalen. "Good job my boy." Stepping out from behind a large tree came a tall man in a tan, button down suit and hat. His hair was green and his eyes a deep black. His cuffing appeared to be two dice and it he looked the gambling type.

"O-Oogie." Stepping out in front of Raven, Zalen looked almost shaken. "What are you doing here? It's not time yet."

"Time…?" Raven looked upon the man in confusion. "Ok. What the HELL is going on here?"

Lazily strolling up to the two the man took off his hat and bowed in greetings. "Well hello there."

The man before her looked oddly human and dressed as such as well. "Um…hi." She was still slightly stunned by the kiss she had just received. _'Why…would he do that?' _

"Oogie, what are you doing?" Zalen now backed into Raven forcing her to be pinned between both him and the tree. "T-this wasn't in the plan."

"Oh? Neither was you betraying me by bringing the girl **here**." Replacing the hat on his head the man continued to stroll forward. "You thought you would be able to sneak away with her?! Under my watch? ARE YOU MAD?" Reaching forward he grasped one of Zalen's shoulders and squeezed.

Zalen's teeth clenched together in pain as the bones in his shoulder began to crack for all around to hear. "Raven you have to go…" Forcing himself forward he tackled Oogie to the ground. "GO!"

Shaking her head Raven was confused. "Zalen, what's going on?!" Stepping forward she found her eyes meeting Oogie's. They were dark and lifeless as they looked upon her and for some unexplained reason they seemed to trap her in place with fear. _'What's wrong with me? I-I should be able to run…"_

Another group of hands nabbed her from behind and forced her to the ground. They were small hands, but they showed such force it was as if they could snap her arm's clean off.

Looking back Raven saw two now very familiar faces. "Yomi…? Raksha…?" Without another word she was knocked to the ground unconscious by none other than Oogie.

Over his shoulder he carried Zalen whom was also down for the count. "I will take care of this one. He's got some of that love bug nonsense trapped in that wandering mind of his. Nothing a little time and some magic can't cure."

Taking one hand each both Raksha and Yomi proceeded to drag Raven away into the darkness. Soon no one remained at the scene…no one but a couple of extremely stealthy Halloween Town Citizen's by the names of Medea and Simon. 


	10. UPDATES COMING SOON: Temporary Chapter

**_Coming soon. My update….I know it's been a long time. I know. I have not forgotten you all who wait for updates so patiently! College is a soul breaking experience…sorry bout that. ANYWAY…I have hit a snag in storytelling, but I've fixed it. Mind you I do have to be willing to write for a story and my Nightmare Before Christmas muse has been on holiday. Sorry bout that…I've started the new chapter so don't worry you are not forgotten!_**

**_That said…this is just an update and will be taken down SOON. I wanted everyone to see. Oh! New Frozen story. If you haven't seen Frozen…where is your face and why isn't it watching frozen!? :) Hope this brightens your day…I CARE~_**


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